Supreme Court Rules in Quanta Patent Case; IP Expert From Wolf Greenfield Can Comment

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - June 9, 2008) - The U.S. Supreme Court today issued a key patent law ruling in Quanta Computer v. LG Electronics, overturning the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The decision, a victory for Quanta, limits the ability of patent owners to control how customers or licensees use the patented technology.

"The Supreme Court had long held that the initial authorized sale of a patented article terminated or 'exhausted' all patent rights to that item. Under that doctrine, the purchaser of a patented article could use or resell the article as the purchaser pleased," said James J. Foster, a senior litigator and shareholder with Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks, P.C., a Boston intellectual property law firm. "In Quanta, the court made two changes that expand the exhaustion doctrine."

Foster can provide perspective on the decision and how it should affect companies that buy and sell licenses to patented technology.

Wolf Greenfield, the largest law firm in New England devoted exclusively to intellectual property law, serves companies that make everything from snowboards to biotechnology pharmaceuticals to software to electronics to water-purification systems, as well as representing universities and research centers. The firm counsels clients in the areas of patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs, trade secrets, and related licensing and litigation. Web: www.wolfgreenfield.com

Contact Information: Henry Stimpson 508-647-0705 HStimpson@StimpsonCommunications.com Sara Crocker Wolf Greenfield 617-573-7831 scrocker@wolfgreenfield.com Morgan Feldman Wolf Greenfield 617-646-8378 mfeldman@wolfgreenfield.com